PixlBit

Games of the Decade #13/Blog a Day #18

Hello everyone, how are you?

There are a number of game franchises that have been missing in action for years, sometimes for decades. This could be either because the developers have no idea what direction the next game should take or it could be because there's no interest in another game. For this one we will be taking a look back at a franchise that was revived on the 3DS after such a long hiatus with Kid Icarus: Uprising.

 

                                               Music in this game is really good ♥

Backstory time: At the time it had been about 20 years since the last Kid Icarus game and at E3 2010 we got a glimpse of the game that was in development for the 3DS and a first look at the 3DS itself. This game was also the very first game to be under development for the 3DS, dating back to 2008-2009. The game had been under development for a while and while it did see a delay, we eventually got the game in 2012. But was the wait for a new game worth it after all these years?

In Kid Icarus: Uprising, you take control of Pit, an angel who serves Palutena, the Goddess of Light, who fights against Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness and her evil forces. The story mode in the game is divided into 25 chapters and the gameplay in the chapters are divided into 2 gameplay styles: both air and land. While in the air, the game becomes on-rails, think of it like Star Fox and while flying through the air you can fly around and shoot down enemies. On land the gameplay changes into more of an action game with linear paths with free-roaming thrown in.

The game gives you a variety of different weapons to take with you on missions each with their own strenghts and disadvantages ranging from bows, blades, claws and more. You can also combine weapons to make even more powerful weapons too which gives you the option to experiment till you find a weapon you are most used to using. You can also adjust the difficulty of each stag to your liking instead of having a pre-determined difficulty for all stages overall. The harder the difficulty, the greater the rewards and there are some paths in stages that can only open on certain difficulty levels.

                           The truth is, despite of my appearance, I'm not a Metroid

The story and the characters might be the best part about the game. There are cutscenes in the game but they aren't long and I like that they aren't dragged out for too long since the dialogue happens during the actual gameplay. But it never gets intrusive during the gameplay at all which is really good because not many games do that. Characters banter during missions to like Pit when he talks to Palutena or any of the other various characters. There are some really great moments and the set pieces in the game are really good. 

But now let's talk about the biggest flaw with the game which are the controls. The gameplay is really funbut the controls really hamper it, it doesn't really help the game at all. I feel like they tried many different control schemes for it but they decided on what we got and they tried their best. It's a shame really because the controls are easily the worst part of the game and that can completely ruin your perception of the game.

"But Captain N, where can I play this?" On the 3DS but I have some bad news. The game released in 2012 and has since become quite expensive and rare to find new at a good price. You can opt for a used copy but if you do make sure it comes with the included stand. If not then the game is available digitally on the 3DS eShop.

          

                                                   This guy makes a return as well

Final Thoughts: Kid Icarus: Uprising is a rare example on how you revive a really long dormant franchise and take a different spin on it that works well for the most part. The game has a wealth of content that'll keep you playing for a good while with some online modes thrown in. The story itself is really good, like it never takes itself too seriously but it's just fun from beginning to end. The music is fantastic and matches the levels very well, props to everyone who worked on the music.

The characters themselves are really well written and I just love all the dialogue and exchanges between them. I feel like that's definitely one of the best parts of the game. The story and the gameplay work seamlessly well with one another, they never get in the way of each other. Sakurai has mentioned that a lot of games don't have a good balance between story-based gameplay so he tried to strike a balance between both and it clearly shows. Sakurai and his team did a great job right there.

The gameplay is so much fun, I loved that it switches from third person shooter to action game in the chapters. But the biggest most apparent flaw with the game is the controls, it's the one thing everyone had a problem with. It's why they included that stand with the game because the controls don't really do the game any favors and they do tire you out easily. They tried given with what they had to work with.

                              Hope he doesn't keep us waiting for another 20 years

But despite its flaws, it's definitely one of my most favorite 3DS games of all time, was a last from beginning to end and definitely among my top 10 3DS games. I hope maybe one day they port/remake this game on the Switch. I feel like different hardware with dual analog controls will do the game justice. Everyone who never had a chance to play this game the first time deserves to try it. Or maybe a sequel to it would be good. But I just hope it doesn't take another 20+ years for another one.

That's all for this one and I'll make sure I won't keep you waiting for the next one.